In addition to Russian national teams, individual athletes have also been excluded from international sporting events. However, the NHL, for example, is a private league in which athletes only represent their employers. Should athletes who have supported Vladimir Putin, for example, still be put on hold?
Russian national teams have been virtually shut down from international sports in recent days following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The reaction of the sports world has been considered surprisingly unanimous and strong, as large sports organizations have previously had difficulty condemning human rights violations in, for example, Russia or China.
In the past, the bosses of the organizations have been sympathetic to the Russian president Vladimir Putinand the money of the oligarchs near the president has been worth it to sports leaders.
Russian national teams have been placed on a large scale and sporting events have been taken out of the country. At the same time, the big topic of discussion has been how Russian athletes should be treated. It has been asked to what extent Russians can be excluded from sport and what is unreasonable.
When Russian skiers’ competitors were asked about it at the Lahti World Cup last weekend, they acknowledged the problem. Among other things, the athletes said that Russian athletes are not responsible for the actions of the Russian state leadership and that it is challenging to start weighing whether the Russians can compete.
When considering the activities of Russian athletes outside the country, the issue can be approached from many perspectives. Roughly, however, the line must be drawn between individual and team sports.
For this reason, the exclusion of Russian athletes is justified
– This is by no means an easy and unambiguous question. It is possible to see it as unreasonable to punish an individual athlete for the decisions of the political leadership of his country. Athletes have not been making these decisions and cannot be held responsible for them, historian Markku Jokisipilä start but then continue:
– There is a very strong nation-state emphasis in international sports. When individual athletes strive for success and achieve it, it is their personal achievement, but it also brings success and reputation to the country. From that point of view, their closure is justified. At the same time, the civilian population in Ukraine is under attack in their country.
Professor of Political History Vesa Vares recalls the same issue raised by cross-country skiers in Salpausselä:
– No one should be condemned for their nationality.
Despite this, Vares also sees the exclusion of Russian athletes from world cups, among other things, as an understandable solution.
Russian athletes will continue to be seen on international pitches – in team sports. In this case, the Russians do not represent their country or their sports system, but their employer. There are 17 Russian hockey players in the Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. 50 Russians have played hockey in the NHL this season.
Czech goalkeeper legend Dominik Hasek57, demanded that Russian players be thrown out of the NHL on Twitter on Saturday.
– The NHL must immediately suspend the contracts of all Russian players. In addition to themselves and their clubs, every athlete represents their country, its values and actions, Hasek wrote, among other things According to Sportsnet (you switch to another service).
This is hardly seen, and it might not even be possible, say Finnish researchers.
– The NHL is a private league and a private business. Is it possible to interfere with the private league or the right of athletes to practice their profession? Here, I would see the most important thing is that they do not represent Russia as a country, but their society. The perspective of the nation state is not in the NHL or in other professional leagues for players, says Jokisipilä.
Alexander Ovetshkin poses on Instagram with Putin
Of the Russian athletes, the hockey player in particular has been promoted Alexander Ovetshkin. The 36-year-old striker, who won three men’s world championships as well as the Stanley Cup in 2018, is one of the best hockey players of all time.
In addition, Ovetshkin is also known as a supporter of Putin. In 2017, the hockey player, one of the country’s biggest sports stars, founded the PutinTeam movement to drive Putin’s election for his fourth presidency. That’s when he switched his Instagram account to a profile picture with Putin. That picture is still in place on the Ovetshkin Instagram.
When Ovetshkin got married in 2016, Putin’s speech was read at the wedding and the puck hero was given a traditional tea set as a gift.
Ovetshkin also commented on Russia’s attack on Ukraine last Friday. The comments did not diminish criticism of the Russian hockey player in the United States.
– The situation is difficult. I have a lot of friends in Russia and Ukraine. It is difficult to follow. Hopefully it will be over soon and peace will return to the world, Ovetshkin began.
Ovetshkin repeatedly used the “I’m just an athlete” answer. He reiterated that hopefully the situation will soon be over. In addition, the comment “the situation is difficult on both sides” has been raised.
Ovetshkin was also asked if he still supported Putin.
– He’s my president, but like I said, I’m not in politics, I’m an athlete. Like I said, hopefully it will end soon.
– This is difficult. I have a family in Russia, so these are scary moments. There is nothing I can do, I just hope everything is fine again soon.
A video of a press conference shared by Washington Capitals in which Ovetshkin answered questions. The story continues after the video.
SB Nation branded Ovetshkin a coward and the New York Post Larry Brooks insisted that all sales of Ovetshkin products such as fan shirts should be stopped.
Some Russian athletes, such as a tennis player Andrei Rublev, have dared to take a stand against hostilities. Rublev wrote on the camera lens at the ATP tournament in Dubai last week: “No war please” (No war, please).
Ovetshkin also used the word war at the end of the press conference when asked about the statements of these other athletes.
– No more war, please. No matter who is at war, Russia or Ukraine or other countries, we live in a world where there should be peace.
History researcher Markku Jokisipilä says that Putin ‘s statements on athletes are irrelevant at this stage.
– Putin has moved beyond his thinking in sports and is ready to sacrifice all the reputation benefits that Russian athletes have brought from competitions over the past 20 years.
According to the Guardian, the words of Ovetshkin and other Russian stars can open the eyes of ordinary Russians. According to Jokisipilä, this is also important.
– An athlete like Ovetshkin has a huge number of fans around the world and also in Russia who listen carefully to what he has to say about significant things going on, Jokisipilä says.
Finally, Jokisipilä raised an issue that cannot be avoided when discussing the justifications for the closure of Russian athletes.
– There are a number of internationally well-known tops of their own kind who have generously given their face and reputation to Putin and the Russian state propaganda machinery. This brings its own additional tone when considering whether it is reasonable or unreasonable to target Russian sports.
In Formula One, the driver may still change – “Mazepin’s funding comes from the oligarchs”
On Tuesday, it was confirmed that the Haas stable F1 driver, Russian Nikita Mazepin may keep their stable space. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has ruled that Russian and Belarusian drivers will be allowed to drive in neutral colors.
The condition is a commitment to the FIA’s values of political neutrality and peace. The Sochi GP was scheduled to run in the fall, but its cancellation was confirmed by the FIA.
Haas, the employer of 23-year-old Mazepin, is a U.S. stable, but the matter is not so straightforward. Although the FIA issued a race permit, the team has not yet commented on the matter.
The main sponsor of Haas-talli since last season has been the Russian fertilizer company Uralkali. Its main owner is Nikita Mazepin, who made her debut in F1 last season Dmitri Mazepin. Money has come to drive Mazepin through this, so the pattern may be affected by economic sanctions against Russia, for example. According to media reports, Dmitry Mazepinin has close relations with Vladimir Putin.
– Above all, this is due to the fact that Mazepin is a payment carrier. The money comes from Russia and these same oligarchic patterns. If the bills cannot be paid even if the origin of the money is not acceptable, then there is a clear situation that Mazepin will not be able to continue, says Sport’s F1 expert Jukka Mildh.
If Mazepin does not continue in the stable, the Brazilian 25-year-old will become the race driver Pietro Fittipaldia two-time F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldin grandson.
Mildh believes that with the help of Fittipaldi, funding for the Haas stable would be found from the Brazilian direction, making driving financially possible as well.
Last season, Mazepin was last in the F1 series and the best finish of the season was 14th. Also the Haas stable Mick Schumacher did not receive any World Championship points.